Sewing cabinet



Feb., l5, i938. P. H. HARMON SEWING CABINET Filed May 25, 193e INVENTORATTORNEYS IWWJYIW Z Il Z III Patented Feb. 15, 1938 UNT'ED ST AT ifApplication May 23,

6 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in work boxes for use moreparticularly as a sewing cabinet although it may be used in othercapacities as will presently appear.

`The invention is designed primarily to provide a cabinet of the foldingsectional type which embodies a pair of tray sections hinged togetherand suspended for swinging movement into either open position to providea pair of open top trays, or, into closed position to provide a closedcompartment, the sections counterbalancing each other in Veither of saidpositions against movement to the opposite position so that no catchesor other locking devices are required to hold the sections closed oropen.

Anotlier'object is to provide a cabinet of the class and for the purposeabove indicated which is simple in construction, strong and durable, andeconomical to manufacture.

Other objects are also comprehended by my invention all of whichtogether with the exact nature of my improvements will be readilyunderstood when the following description and claims are read withreference to the accompanying drawing:

In said drawing:

Figure l is a View in vertical section taken on the line i-l of Figure2, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows, and illustratingthe 30 cabinet of my invention with the sections in closed position.

Figure 2 is a View in transverse section, and

Figure 3 is a View partly in transverse section and partly in sideelevation illustrating the sections in opened position; v

Referring to the drawing in detail, and by ref erence numerals, theillustrated embodiment of my invention comprises a pair of opposed enduprights I of any suitable edge contour, conw n nected together at theirupper ends by a bar i?,

shaped to provide a hand grip 3 for carrying the cabinet from'place toplace, and similarly connected at their lower ends by a bar 3'.

Intermediate the uprights i and swingingly mounted thereon, as presentlydescribed, is a pa' 1 of tray sections 4 and 5, respectively, eachcomprising end walls E, side walls l and a bottom wall The trays i and 5are designed so that they gradually increase inv depth from one end tothe other and are thereby formed with large and small outer and innerends, respectively. Preferably the bottom walls 8 of each tray arerelatively divergent outwardly from the end wall 6 to facilitate accessto the interior of the trays. The small ends 6 of the trays 4 and 5 arehinged 1936, Serial No. 81,529

(Cl. 223l07) together as at 9 at their open edges whereby said trays maybe relatively swung to opened position determined by engagement of saidsmall ends of the trays, or, to closed position as determined byengagement of the open edges of said trays. The trays d and 5, in theirfully opened position incline outwardly and downwardly to furtherfacilitate access to the interior thereof in said opened position.

The trays li and are suspended from the uprights l, by means of opposedpair of rod-like links it, the links of each pair being pivotallyconnected side by side to the uprights I and to the sides 'l of saidtrays. Preferably said links are pivotally mounted in metal plates iland i2 suitably secured to the uprights and trays, respectively, as byscrews it. The pivotal connections of the links it to the trays l and tare offset rearwardly of the transverse center of said trays and alsooliset below the longitudinal center of said trays whereby in the openedpositions of said trays the greater portion of the weight thereof isoutside the points of pivotal connection of the links lil thereto. Thisfeature provides for each tray in its opened position counterbalancingthe other against movement to closed position. The pivotal points ofconnection of the links It to the uprights i and trays il and 5 arerelatively arranged so that the links incline downwardly and outwardlyfrom their points of connection to Said uprights whereby the points ofconnection of the links to the trays are always laterally offsetoutwardly from the center of gravity of said links. As will be clearthis feature provides for the trays being urged towards closing positionby their own weight after they have been swung inwardly on their hinges9 past a vertical dead center position relative to the pivotal pointslil of connection of the links l0 thereto.

Each tray il and 5 is provided with a centrally located transversepartition ld which in the opened position of the tray inclines upwardlyand outwardly to facilitate access to the rear comn partment formed inthe tray thereby, and in the closed position of the tray inclinesupwardly and inwardly so that implements or articles located on saidpartition will gravitate toward the outn side of the tray for a purposewhich will be clear. The small ends of the trays It and 5 are providedwith inwardly extending ledges l5 at their open edges which in theclosed position of the trays form upright partitions for preventing theconm tents of the trays from intermingling.

It is to be noted that the described means for suspending the trays forindependent swinging movement causes them to swing up to an elevatedposition when moving from closed to opened position. Thus the cabinetmay be built low and the contents of the trays easily reached when thelatter are opened.

This feature together with the described inclination of the trays andthe outer end walls and partitions thereof provides for easy removal ofarticles from the bottom thereof and for rendering articles on thebottom of the trays readily visible to a person seated alongside thecabinet.

The foregoing is a detailed description of a preferred embodiment of myinvention and it is believed that the construction and advantagesthereof will be clear without further explanation. It is to beunderstood, however, that the precise details described are illustrativeof a preferred embodiment of my invention only, and that right is hereinreserved to changes and modifications of such details falling within thescope of the claims appended hereto.

What I claim is:

l. A cabinet comprising, a pair of spaced apart opposed uprights, a pairof open top trays between said uprights having end and side walls,respectively, and hingedly connected together in end to end position forfolding movement into closing and opening relation, and means forsuspending said trays from said uprights for relative swinging movement,said means being pivotally connected to said uprights and to the sidesof the trays, respectively.

2. A cabinet comprising, a pair of spaced apart opposed uprights, a pairof open topI trays between said uprights having end and side walls,respectively, and hingedly connected together in end to end position forfolding movement into closing and opening relation, and means forsuspending said trays from said uprights for relative swinging movement,said means being pivotally connected to said uprights and to the sidesof the trays, respectively, said means being pivotally connected to therespective trays each at points f so that the centers of gravity of thetwo trays when in closed position will lie between the two pivotconnections so as to hold the trays in closed position and when in openposition the individual centers oi gravity of the two trays will beoutward oi the pivotal connections thereby maintaining the trays intheir open positions.

3. A cabinet comprising, a pair of spaced apart opposed uprights, a pairof open top trays between said uprights having end and side walls,

respectively, and hingedly connected together in end to end position forfolding movement Vinto closing and opening relation, and means forsuspending said trays from said uprights for relative swinging movement,said means being pivotally connected to said uprights and to the sidesor" the trays, respectively, said means being pivotally connected to therespective trays each at points so that the centers of gravity of thetwo trays when in closed position will lie between the two pivotconnections so as to hold the trays in closed position and when in openposition the individual centers of gravity of the two trays aiosfrriwill be outward of the pivotal connections thereby maintaining the traysin their open positions, said trays having their hinged ends inclinedupwardly and outwardly from the hinges when the trays are in closedposition whereby the trays will slope downwardly and outwardly from thehinges when they are in open position.

4. A cabinet comprising, a pair of spaced apart opposed uprights, a pairof open top trays between said upriglits` having end and side Walls,respectively, and hingedly connected together in end 'to end positionfor folding movement into closing and opening relation, and means forsuspending said trays from said uprights for relative swinging movement,said means being pivotally connected to said uprights and to the sidesof the trays, respectively, said means being pivotally connected to therespective trays each at points so that the centers of gravity of thetwo trays when in closed position will lie between the two pivotconnections so as to hold the trays in closed position and when in openposition the individual centers of gravity of the two trays will beoutward of the pivotal connections thereby maintaining the trays intheir open positions, and said trays being deeper at one end than at theother and inclining outwardly and downwardly in their opened positionwith the hinged ends abutting and limiting the outward swinging of thetrays.

5. A cabinet comprising, a pair of spaced apart opposed uprights, a pairof open top trays between said uprights having end and side walls,respectively, and hingedly connected together in end to end position forfolding movement into closing and opening relation, and means forsuspending said trays from said uprights for relative swinging movement,said means being pivotally connected to said uprights and to the sidesof the trays, respectively, said means being pivotally connected to therespective trays each at points so that the centers of gravity of thetwo trays when in closed position will lie between the two pivotconnections so as to hold the trays in closed position and when in openposition the individual centers of gravity of the two trays will beoutward of the pivotal connections thereby maintaining the trays intheir open positions, said trays having, respectively, a transversepartition inclining from the bottom of the tray inwardly and upwardly inthe closed position of said tray, and upwardly and outwardly in theopened position of the tray and the end walls of each tray beingoutwardly divergent relatively. v

6. A cabinet comprising, a pair o1 spaced apart Opposed uprights, a pairof open top trays be tween said uprights having end and side walls,respectively, and hingedly connected together in end to end position forfolding movement into closing and opening relation, and means forsuspending the trays from said uprights for relative swinging movementcomprising, opposed pairs oi rod-like links pivotally connected to theuprights and to the sides of the trays, respectively, and incliningoutwardly and downwardly from said uprights in either position of saidtrays.

PATRICK H. HARMON,

